Puzzle or game



(No Modem E. B. PARKER.

. PUZZLE 0R GAMB.

. lmented Peb. 16, 1897.

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A l Lamm UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

ELIZABETH B. PARKER, OF FORT COLLINS, COLORADO.

PUZZLE OR GAM E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,146, dated February16, 1897'.

Application tiled May 16, 1896. Serial No. 591,836. (No model.)

Beit known that I, ELIZABETH B. PARKER, a citizen of the .United States,residin at. Fort Collins, in the county of Larimer and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Puzzlesor Games;

. and I do declare the following' to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in puzzles or game appliances; andit has for its general object to provide a cheap, simple, and amusingpuzzle or game appliance which will afford an illustration of the careand attention necessary to the proper conduct of a campaign andtheelection of a President and Vice-President of the United States.

IVith the foregoing end in view the invention will be fully understoodfrom the following description and claim when taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings,

in which- Figure l is a horizontal sect-ion of a puzzle or gameappliance embodying my invention, said section being taken in the planeindicated by the line e' of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diametrical sectiontaken in the plane indicated by the line w as of Fig. l; and Figs. 3 and4 are vertical sections taken in the planes indicated by the lines y 'yand w to, respectively,of Fig. l.

In the said drawings similar numerals and letters designatecorresponding parts in all of the several Views, referring to whichlindicates the frame or box of my improved puzzle or appliance. Thisframe or box l comprises the bottom 2, which is of a general circularform and has the offset portions 3 and the circular wall 4, which risesfrom the bottom 2, and it is provided with the covered inclosure 5 atone point or end and with the covered inclosure G at a diametricallyopposite top wall l0, and is divided by partition-Walls llinto threecompartments R, D, and P, each of which communicates with the spaceWithin the wall 4 through openings l2 in said wall, as shown.

The inclosure 5 is formed by the circular wall 4, the circular wall 13,and the top wall 14, and it communicates at its ends with the spaceWithin the Wall 4, and also communicates with said space through theopenings l5, formed in the wall 13.

The three compartments R, D, and P of the inclosure 5 represent thenominating conventions of the three chief political parties of thecountry, to wit: the Republican party, the Democratic party, and theProhibition party. The inclosure G represents the White House 5 and thepuzzle or game consists in workin g the balls 1G,which represent thepresidential and vice-presidential candidates,fro 1n the conventions orcompartments R, D, and P of the inclosure 5 to the White I-Iouse orinclosure 6 and retainin g them in such inclosure.

The passage of the balls from the compartments R, D, and P to theinclosure 6 is ren dered very difficult by the radially-disposed walls7, and consequently careful and skillful manipulation of the applianceis necessary to transfer the balls from the one to the other. The walls7 are arranged at intermediate points between the center of the frame orbox and the wall 4 thereof, and therefore a center space is affordedbetween their inner ends and spaces between their outer ends and thewall 4 of the frame or box. In consequence of this the balls,'by propermanipulation of the appliance, may be caused to take a course betweenthe ends of the walls 7 and the side wall of the frame or box in passingfrom the inclosure 5 to the inclosure 6, or may be caused to take adirect course from one inclosure to the other, in which case they willpass between some of the walls 7 and across the center space. Then theballs are caused to take this latter course, the arrangement of theWalls 7 will tend to cause all of the balls to enter the inclosure 6 andwill render it exceedingly difficult to place two balls in suchinclosure without the others.

In practice the balls representing the various presidential andvice-presidential candi- ICO dates are colored or marked so that thoserepresenting the candidates of one party may be readily distinguishedfrom those of the other parties, and the balls are placed in the propercompartments of the inclosure 5, that is to say, the balls representingthe Republican candidates in compartment R, theballs representing theDemocratic candidates in cornpartment D, and those representing theProhibition candidates in compartment P.

There are three players, representing the Republicans, Democrats, andProhibitionists, respectively, and the object of each is to Work theballs representing the candidates of his party into the Vhite House orinclosure 6 and keep the other balls out. Each player will have twoplays and if he fails in placing the balls representing; his candidatesin the lVhite l-Iouse or inclosure (5 he must give way to anotherplayer. It aplayer succeeds in getting the candidates of his party inthe inclosure G together with other candidates it will not count, andthe balls must be returned to the inclosure 5 and another trial made.

I n order to increase the difficulty attending the placing of the ballsin the inelosure G, I provide the bottom 2 in its upper side with thedepression 30,which is arranged in front of the Wall 13, as shown.

It is obvious that the puzzle or appliance may be worked with ballsrepresenting the candidates of but two parties, in which case one of thecompartments of the inclosure 5 may be dispensed with.

It is also obvious that when desired but two balls need be employed, onerepresenting the presidential candidate of one party and one thepresidential candidate of another party. I prefer, however, to employthe six balls, as described, as their use renders it very difficult toplace the balls representing the candidates of one party in theinclosure G Without getting some of the other balls in said inclosure.

My improved .puzzle or game appliance, While very cheap and simplevillafford a great amount of amusement not only to the players, but also tothose who are looking on and following the trials or attempts to placethe balls representing` certain candidates in the inclosure representingthe White I-Iouse Without placing the other balls therein.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- The puzzle or gameappliance described consisting essentially of the frame orboX having theinclosure 5, at one of its ends provided with separate compartments, andopenings connecting said compartments with the interior of the frame orbox, the inclosure G, arranged at the opposite end of the frame or boxwith respect to the inclosure 5, and having its ends communicating withthe interior of the frame or boX and also having an opening in its frontWall connecting its interior and the interior of the frame or boX, thedepression 30, formed in the bottom ofthe frame or box immediately infront of the front wall of the inclosure G and the radially-disposed,vertical walls 7 arranged on the bottom of the frame or boX and betweenthe inclosures 5, and 6, and also arranged at intermediate pointsbetween the center of the frame or box and the side wall thereof so asto form a central space between their inner ends and a space betweentheir outer ends and the side Wall of the frame or boX, substantially asspecitied.

In testimony whereof I aftiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELIZABETH B. PARKER.

Titnesses XV. J. SIOKMAN, CHAs. V. PARKER.

